Folding cover for typewriting machines or the like



Dec. 18, 1945. .1. G. CABRERA FOLDING COVER FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES ORTHE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Jan. 24, 1944 INVENTOR;

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Patented Dec. 18, 1945 UNITED STATESt- PATENT OFFICE FOLDING COVER FOR-TYPEWBITING MA- CHINES OB YTHE LIKE J os Gonzalez Cabrera, Habana, CubaApplication January 24, 1944, Serial No. 519,570

3 Claims. (0]. 45-68.!)

This. invention relates to folding covers for typewriting machines orthe like, and it has for its object to provide a folding cover whichauto matically opens upon release of means locking same to a wood boardserving as a. support for the machinev and the cover frame, and whichcomprises a body of foldable material. Two metallic frames are fixedlysecured to the rear portion of the wood board and have secured thereto aridge plate to which the folding hood body is joined. A plurality ofarms is provided at each side of the cover, one of which is verticallyfixed to the respective side frame and the other arms are rotatablymounted under the elastic tension of coil springs forcing them to rotatebackwards on a pivot pin horizontally fixed to each frame, and aplurality of metallic skeleton forms are pivotally connected to thestationary and rotatable arms and to which the hood body is fastened,the skeleton forms being inter-connected by elastic bands tending toshrink, said springs and bands acting as elastic means tend ing to causethe cover to fold backwards beyond the stationary ridge plate andoutside the typewriting machine or the like so that it will not in theleast interfere with the operation of the machine parts, whereupon itdoes away with the necessity of removing'the cover whenever the machineis to be used, and once the cover is b closed, it will prevent the useof the machine by unauthorized persons, thus affording the necessaryprotection of the machine from dust and humidity, and from damage andunauthorized use.

The invention is described with reference to the figures of theaccompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a typewriting machine hood constructedaccording to this invention, showing its body of foldable materialpartially broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the foldable frame supportingthe cover.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the foldable supporting frame ofthe cover, in its unfolded or closed position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective detailed view showing a portion of thefoldable supporting frame in its folded or open position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig.3.

In the drawings, the numeral l indicates the wood board on which atypewriting machine or the like is usually supported, and to thisv boardI is secured the automatically foldable structure forming the objectofthis invention. On the rear portion of the board I is secured by screws2 a metallic plate 3 extending from one side to the other of the board Iand having near its ends front extensions 4 each of which has on itsside edges raised lugs 5 and 6 supporting through holes therein. ahorizontal pivot pin 1 on which is swingingly mounted, under theresiliency of a coil spring 8 wound on said pin 1, a long arm 9 bent ata right angle at each end and having at its end immediate the extension4 two lugs 10 and H provided with holes for insertion of the pin 1, saidlugs 10 and Il remaining adjacent the lugs 5 and 6, and the arm 9 havingits other end in the shape of a comb [2.

On the end portions of the board I and adjacent the end edges of theplate 3 not reaching the ends of the board, are fixedly mounted me--tallio frames each of which is formed with a bottom 13 and two verticalside walls M and M, which frames may be integral with plate 3, the innerside wall l4 having a front wing I5 at a right angle with it the heightof which wing is less than half the height of the wall M. Through holesin the vertical walls l4 and M are; mounted at different heights a stoppin 16 at the rear portion and a pivot pin [1 at the fore portion, bothin a horizontal position. The stop pin l6 has its ends riveted to thevertical walls l4 and I4 and the pivot pin I1 is in the shape of a boltto the threaded end of which is screwed a nut [8 for securing same inposition and to permit its rotation.

On each pivot pin I! are mounted across a;

hole therethrough three metallic plate arms I9, 20 and 2| of which thetwo first are spaced from one another and from the vertical wall M bywashers 22 and 23, and the arm 2| which is spaced from the vertical wallM by a washer 23' is held in vertical position by the vertical wing I5serving as a stop for same. Between the arms, 20 and 2| is wound on pinl1 a coil spring 24' the free end of which is bent on the fore edge ofthe arm 20,. thus the latter arm tends to move upwards and backwards byvirtue ofthe resiliency of the. spring 24. The arm I9 is invariablyconnected to the arm 9 through insertion of the arm IS inthe end notchof the comb l2 formed at an end of the arm 9, whereby the arm I!) isadapted to rotatably move along with the arm 9 under the resiliency ofthe spring 8.

The bottom l3 of each frame has a fore extension 25 provided with athreaded hole for receiving the end of a. head screw 26 remaining raisedto serve as a stop limiting the forward oscillatory movement of the arm20.

Each frame has fixedly secured outside the outer wall |4 thereof byscrews 21 a vertical plate 28, both plates 28 one at each side beingconnected at their upper ends by a metallic ridge plate 29. To thisridge plate and to the vertical plates 28 is fastened by screws orrivets 30 the hood body 3| made of a foldable 'material such asoilcloth, canvas or the like, which is usually employed to protect atypewriting machine or the like positioned on the board I and which inclosed position as shown in perspective in Fig. 1 of the drawings andindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 is adapted to cover the framework.

The arms I9, 20 and 2| have their free ends curved to form backwardlydirected extensions I9, 20 and 2|, respectively. To the two ver-,

tically held arms 2| are pivotally connected by horizontal pivot pins 32through holes in their extensions 2| a metallic skeleton form 33 towhich the foldable hood body 3|" is fastened. Likewise the two swingingarms l9 and 20 are pivotally connected by horizontal pivot pins 34 and35 respectively through holes in their extensions i9 and 20' to twometallic skeleton forms 36 and 31 similar to skeleton form 33, thelatter movable skeleton forms 36 and 31 having fastened thereto thefoldable hood body 3| which is thus fastened when the swinging arms |9and 20 are in the position indicated in Fig. 3, namely, the arms 20 inthe inclined position limited by the stop screws 26 and the arms l9 inthe horizontal position limited by the board Each extension |9', 20' and2| of the respective arms I9, 20 and 2| has a projecting horizontal pin39 adapted to serve as a stop for each end portion of each skeleton form36, 31 and 33 limiting the forward movement of each skeleton form tomaintain the end portion of each skeleton form in alignment with the armI9, 20 or 2| in the unfolded or closed position of the cover, as shownin Fig. 3.

The hood body 3| is secured to theskeleton forms 33, 36 and 31 by meansof metallic straps 40, 42 and "4| respectively which are situated on theouter surface of the hood body 3|, the metallic straps 4|], 42 and 4|being fastened to their respective skeleton forms 33, 36 and 31 by meansof a series of screws 43, 45 and 44 passing through holes in the hoodbody 3|. The side portions of the hood body 3| ar loose and are notsecured to any element of the skeleton frame except on the verticalplate 28, the same being adapted to be folded upon themselves when theskeleton frame moves backward by carrying'with it the hood body 3|.

' The skeleton forms 33 and 31 are inter-con nected beneath the hoodbody 3| by elastic bands 46 secured by means of rings 41 in holes 48 and49 of skeleton forms 33 and 31. The skeleton forms 36 and 31 are alsointerconnected by elastic bands 50 secured by means of rings in holes 52and 49 of the skeleton forms 36 and 31. The function of elastic bands 46and 50 is to cooperate in the automatic opening of the cover caused bythe springs 8 and 24 at each side and to hold the hood body 3| taut inits closed position.

To the metallic band 42 secured to the skeleton form 36 is fixed byscrews 53 a supporting piece 54 to which is hinged a metallic plate 55provided with a slot 56 adapted to fit on the eyebolt 5T fixed to thefore end of the board to permit the locking of the cover by a padlock,ifdesired, in

addition to serving as a catch for the hood 3| in its closed position.

The operation of the automatic folding cover is as follows: Assuming thecover to be in its closed position, to open same the locking late isdisengaged from the eyebolt 5T, whereupon the springs 8 and 24 will tendto pull the arms I9 and 20 respectively upwards, causing the lattertoswing backward on the pivot pin I1, and atthe same time the elasticbands 46 and 50 will tend to contract and will pull the skeleton forms31 and 36 upwards and backwards to cooperate with the upward oscillatorymovement of the arms HI and 20. In the backward oscillatory movement ofthe arms I9 and 2|! at each side, the same are stopped as soon as theyreach their vertical position by the stop pin l6 secured to the verticalwalls l4 and M of both frames and the arms I9, 20 and 2| will remainheld in the notches of the combs I2, as indicated in Fig. 4, but as theskeleton forms 33, 36 and 31 are free to move about the pivots 32, 34and 35 connecting them to the stationary arms 2| and the oscillatoryarms I9 and 20, said skeleton forms will continue their backward rotarymovement by virtue of inertia, until they fall backwards and will remainin a backward inclined position in which they are retained by thestationary ridge plate 29, all of them in the same plane as indicated inFig. 4 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thereby causing the hood body 3|to remain folded backwards, to which end the end portions of theskeleton forms 33, 36 and 31 will be of a progressively increasinglength, as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that for'the purp se of closing the cover it willbe sufficient to grasp the lockplate 55 and to pull same forward anddownward, thereby carrying together with it the whole skeleton framewith the hood body 3|, until the eyebolt 51 is engaged in the slot 56 ofplate 55 by overcoming the resiliency of the springs B and 24.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the shape and constructiondetails of the supporting frames, as well as in the number and shape ofthe skeleton forms carrying the hood body and of the arms carrying theskeleton forms, and in the nature of the hood body material, withoutthereby altering the essential character of the invention, which is suchas' claimed hereinafter.

What I claim is: 1. A folding cover for typewriting machines or thelike, composed of a supporting board for the machine, a hood body offoldable material fixed on a series of skeleton forms of rigid material,supporting means having elastic means urging them rearwardly to whichthe skeleton forms are pivotally connected, stop means limiting forwardmovement of the skeleton forms relatively to said supporting means, stopmean fixed to the machine supporting board to limit to a verticalposition the movement of the supporting means and elastic meansconnecting the skeleton forms to one another successively, so that whenthe hood body is pulled to operative position and then released it movesupwardly and backwardly to uncover the machine, the elastic means andthe supporting means acting automatically to cause said body to foldupon the skeleton forms to a position at the rear of the typewritingmachine or the like.

2. A folding cover for typewriting machines or the like, composed of asupporting board for the machine, a hood body of foldable material, aseries of skeleton formsof rigid material transverse.-

ly arranged to which said body is fastened, metallic frames fixed on therear portion of the machine supporting board, a ridge plate fixed abovesaid frames on vertical plates secured to the frames, a horizontal pivotpin secured to each frame, arms rotatably mounted on the pivot pins andprovided with elastic means urging them rearwardly and to the ends ofwhich the skeleton forms are pivotally connected respectively, stop pinson the rotatable arms to limit forward movement of the skeleton formswith respect to the rotatable arms respectively, stop pins horizontallysecured to the frames to limit the upward and backward movement of therotatable arms, and elastic means connecting the skeleton forms to oneanother successively, so that when the hood body is pulled to operativeposition and then released it moves upwardly and backwardly to uncoverthe machine, the elastic means and the arms acting automatically tocause said body to fold upon the skeleton forms until the rotatable armsare retained in vertical position by the stop pins secured to the framesand the rotatable skeleton forms fall backward to rest on the stationaryridge plate.

3. A folding cover for typewriting machines or the like, composed of asupporting board for the machine, a hood body of foldable material, aseries of skeleton forms of rigid material arranged transversely to saidbody and to which the latter is fastened, metallic frame fixed on themachine supporting board at its rear portion, a ridge plate fixed abovesaid frames on vertical plates fixed on the frames, a horizontal pivotpin secured to each frame, three arms mounted on each pivot pin andinter-spaced by washers, of which one arm is held in vertical positionby a front wing in the respective frame, another arm is urgedrear-wardly by a spring mounted on the pivot pin, and the third arm isengaged by an arm mounted under the elastic tension of a spring on apivot pin mounted on a plate connecting the frames on the machinesupporting board, said spring urging said last named arm upwardly andrearwardly, the

skeleton forms being pivotally connected to the ends of said three pairsof arms, stop pins horizontally secured to the frames to limit therotatory movement of the second and third arms upward and backward, stoppins on said three pairs of arms to limit the rotatory movement of theskeleton forms outward respectively to the arms, a stop fixed to eachframe to limit the outward movement of the second arms, elastic meansconnecting the skeleton forms to one another successively, and a slottedlock plate hinged to the front skeleton form and adapted to bedetachably secured to an eyebolt fixed to the fore edge of the machinesupporting board, so that when said lock plate is detached the hood bodymoves upwardly and backwardly to uncover the machine, the elastic meansand the arms rotatable under the elastic tension of their springsautomatically acting to cause the upward and backward rotatory arms torotate until they are held in vertical position by the stop pins and theskeleton forms will continue their rotatory movement on the pivotsconnecting same with the respective arms until they fall backward torest on the stationary ridge plate, carrying along with them said bodyin folded position.

JOSE GONZALEZ CABRERA.

